"SANGBAY" of Bauang, La Union

Please let us practice the LNT (Leave No Trace) outdoor ethics/principles when going to these nature places.

Manage our waste products properly (pack it in, pack it out), don't leave your trash. Let us not vandalize/write/etch on its rock surfaces as well as on trees. Be respectful of the community's culture and traditions.

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I had a snack at a store near the Barangay Hall of USA. USA stands for Upper San Agustin. That was after visiting the "Sangbay Love".
While having a snack, I inquired about the waterfalls at Lower San Agustin.
The store owner, who was on a wheelchair, verified the existence of the waterfalls and said, "Didiay ti talaga nga Sangbay" (That is the true Sangbay). He also gave me the directions going to the said waterfalls. And so, I went on my way going down along the road to the intersection at San Agustin Elementary School.

At the Elementary School, I left turned and went eastward on that road fronting the school.
I kept walking and asked directions from a woman whom I met along the way.
I took a snack at a store at the right side of the road and nearby was a steel pedestrian bridge. I asked the store owner about the trail going to the waterfalls and he said that just walk on that bridge, it will lead to the waterfalls.
A short walk after the bridge and there were residential houses. I have to ask directions again as I might be going in the wrong direction or worse that I might be trespassing.
The lady confirmed that that was the trail going to the waterfalls (passing in-between the houses) and she even showed me the connecting trail amidst the bushes. She then said, "taga ditoy kami ngem di kami pay napnapan dita Sangbay" (We are from here but we have never been to the waterfalls).
I walked along the trail that passed through the mountainside and some vegetable gardens (rice fields) and eventually led to the stream. I crossed the stream (which I should not have done) and followed a wrong trail that led almost to the top of the mountain where there was a lone house. I can see a small cascade at a distance but I was at the wrong area. I was at a search of a trail that will go down to the stream below. Luckily, I found it after a long trial and error. What a relief, I was then at the stream and from there, I went upstream to where the waterfalls.

"Sangbay"
Falling from a cliff side of around 20 to 30 feet high, this waterfall has no pool area. The non-existing bowl-drop area is a chaotic random disarrangement of fallen rocks. Landslide was almost fresh near its vicinity particularly at its right side.
Its water volume was not great.
The name was "Sangbay" which is an Iloco (Ilokano dialect) for waterfalls. So I don't know if it is wrong to say Sangbay Falls that it seemed to be redundant but it might be just okay since they are in different "tongues".

It was a hot day. The sun was shining brightly up above as I went back on the trail. Passed by the residential houses, into the steel foot bridge and to the roadside. I saw the lady again from the residential houses and she said "nadadael gamin dayta idi nagbagyo" (that was destroyed when there was a typhoon), pertaining to the waterfalls' present condition.
I went to the other side of the road and took a shelter on a waiting shed hoping that a tricycle will pass by but nothing came.
I walked my way until I reached the San Agustin Elementary School. It was almost noon and the sun was scorching. There I met a man who also came from the area of the waterfalls. He told me that the waterfalls before was not like to its present condition. It was beautiful back then where the volume of its water was great that it had water flowing even during the summer month of April. He added that it was destroyed during the great two tropical storms of "Pepeng" and "Ondoy".
It must be a direct or indirect effect of climate change? Well, I'm not sure.
A tricycle came and we rode going to downtown Bauang.
As for me, at downtown Bauang, I rode a mini-bus going back to Home Sweet Home.